Council approves changes for bulk trash pickup

Monday

Oct 31, 2016 at 12:01 AMNov 1, 2016 at 9:33 AM

By Madison Wilson, Prosper Press

Prosper residents’ trash removal rates will stay the same for the next two years beginning Feb. 1, 2017, but bulk trash pickup days will change. Currently, bulk trash pickup is scheduled for the first and last Saturdays of the month but beginning in February, pickup days will move to the first and last Mondays of the month.

The Prosper Town Council unanimously voted to authorize Town Manager Harlan Jefferson to enter into an exclusive franchise contract with Progressive Waste Solutions, the town’s current waste removal service provider, for another two years beginning Feb. 1 on Oct. 25 at the council meeting

Due to some service concerns where residents’ trash was not getting picked up in early summer, the council decided to move forward with a two-year contract instead of continuing with another four-year contract. Jefferson said the council negotiated with Progressive Waste Solutions to improve performance measures.

“ (The new contract will include) some type of clause where residents could be reimbursed if they receive poor service, so that’s how we pursued that particular enhancement,” Jefferson said. “So if you have repeated poor service from them, let’s say they skip your trash repeatedly, then what they’ll do is reimburse you for your fee.”

Prosper residents will pay the same waste removal rate they are paying now for the next two years. Basic residential service, which includes weekly garbage and recyclable removal, monthly bulk item collection and an annual hazardous waste removal voucher, costs $11.30 per month.

Jefferson said the council was also interested in the new bulk trash pickup days, a change he believes will aid the residents so they have the weekend to assemble bulky trash items. Town Secretary Robyn Battle agreed that change will make bulk trash pickup easier for Prosper residents.

“It’s a lot more convenient,” Battle said. “People have the weekend to pull their items together and get them out on Monday rather than have to do that on a weeknight.”

In anticipation of the current contract’s end date, the council bid the services and accepted proposals from four waste removal companies. Honing in on Progressive Waste Solutions as the most suitable option, Jefferson asked permission from the council to begin negotiations with the company in August. Town staff chose to shorten the contract length to ensure that Progressive Waste Solutions’ performance would improve to the town’s standards.

“Because of the performance issues, we said, ‘Why don’t we shorten it to two years so we can see how the performance goes and make sure all the issues have been addressed?’” Jefferson said.

Prosper residents who have service issues can contact town staff to ensure that their service deficiencies are being logged and tracked. In order to receive bulk pickup service, residents must call Progressive at least one day in advance to place their name on the pickup schedule. Currently, residents west of Preston Road receive bulk pickup service on the first Saturday of the month and residents east of Preston road, on the last Saturday of the month.